Rubber shoe



C. T. AND A. K. THOMPSON.

RUBBER SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.2I.19I9. RENEWED SEPT24I I920.

1,361,926. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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CARL T. THOMPSON AND ARNOLD K. THOMPSON, OF FITGHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

RUBBER snon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed October 21, 1919, Serial No. 332,320. Renewed September 24, 1920. Serial No. 412,622.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CARL T. THoMrsoN and ARNOLD K. THOMPSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rubber Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an overshoe known as a rubber and having a flexible sole or bottom and an elastic upper, adapted to be pulled on to a leather shoe and to yieldin ly embrace the latter.

The object of the invention is to enable the heel portion of a rubber to be pulled on more easily and with less liability of soiling and injuring the fingers of the user, than heretofore.

The invention consists in the improvements which we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rubber embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a rubber, the upper of which is elastic, and is adapted to yieldingly embrace a shoe onto which the rubber is pulled. The bottom of the rubber includes the usual relatively stiff heel portion and the usual flexible shank and fore portions.

In carrying out our invention, we attach to the rear portion of the upper a pair of flexible pull1ng-on straps 12', located within the upper and at opposite sides of the footreceiving opening therein, the straps being below and substantially parallel with the mouth of said opening. The straps may be either elastic or inelastic, and are preferably inelastic, or substantially inextensible, in which case they may be made of strong cord, tape, or other textile fabric, or of leather. When the straps are elastic they may be made of suitable, relatively narrow, elastic webbing. The form of the straps should be such that they may be easily tucked between the inner surface of the rubber and the outer surface of the shoe covered thereby.

The rear end of each strap is firmly attached to the heel end or portion of the upper in close proximity to the median line, the points of attachment of the said rear ends being indicated at 13. The forward ends of the straps are firmly attached at the points 14, to opposite sides of the upper. The intermediate portions of the straps are free to be bulged inwardly from the upper as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

We prefer to locate the points of attachment let somewhat in advance of the portion of the upper that rises from the heel portion of the bottom, as indicated by Fig. 1.

The arrangement of the straps is such that when the fore portion of the rubber is drawn to place on the fore portion of the shoe, and the heel portion of the rubber is flexed downwardly by the heel portion of the shoe, a condition which prevails before the heel portion of the rubber is pulled on, the straps are exposed, so that the user may engage two fingers with the straps, bulge the latter inward, as indicated by dotted lines in F ig. 2, and utilize the straps in pulling on the heel portion of the rubber. In doing this the fingers are first engaged with the forward portions of the straps and then worked backward until the heel portion is pulled on. The straps are then tucked between the rubber and the shoe and are concealed by the rubber.

The arrangement of the straps which extend longitudinally of the rubber, and the attachment of each strap to the rubber upper at two points, one at the heel portion, and the other between the heel and toe portions, enable the straps to be conveniently interposed, and to lie in a substantially fiat condition between the rubber and the shoe, and distribute the strain exerted b the fingers on the straps so that the heel portion is effectively pulled to place without liability of tearing the fastened ends of the straps from the rubber upper.

We claim:

1. A rubber provided within the rear portion of its upper with a pair of longitudinally extending pulling-on straps, located at opposite sides of the foot-receiving opening, and below the mouth thereof, attached at their rear end portions to the heel portion of the upper, and at their forward end portions to the sides of the upper, in advance of the heel portion, the intermediate portions of the straps being separable from the inner surface of the upper, said straps being adapted to be engaged by two fingers, and

utilized to pull on the heel portion of the rubber the straps being arranged to be concealed by the upper when the rubber is in lace.

2. A rubber provided within the rear portion of its upper with two pulling-on straps extending lengthwise of the rubber and substantially parallel with and below the mouth of the foot-receiving opening, said straps being located, one at one side, and the other at the opposite side i of the longitudinal median line of the rubber, attached at their rear end portions to the heel end of the upper, and at their forward end portions to the sidesof the upper, and free to bulge insignatures.

foot, and the heel portion is deflected downward from the 'fore portion, the straps may be engaged by two fingers inserted in said opening, utilized to pull on the heel portion;

and finally concealed by the portion of the upperto which they are attached.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our CARL T. THO PSON. I ARNOLD K. THOMPSON. 

